Ganguly criticises cricket board

Soruav Ganguly took pot shots at the Board of Control for Cricket in India, saying its rules were not the same for all cricketers, here today.
To a query whether he could have served the Indian team well had he continued to play at the top level like Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, Ganguly said: "Yes, I had the ability. Had I played, I would have performed. But the rules are not the same for everyone." He also said the Cricket Association of Bengal president, Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya, was a 'legend' in the game's administration, amidst speculation that he is gearing up to take on the former BCCI president in the CAB presidential elections next year. "He is a legend in cricket administration, and he will be," Ganguly said. "I am reading lot of speculations about why I want to get into cricket administration. I am not going there to fight anybody. I don't have any such mentality," he added. He is anchoring a Bengali quiz cum reality show which he said was a new challenge to him.

Read More

12:33 PM

Ganguly game for cricket's power politics?

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday indicated his willingness to begin a new innings as a cricket administrator, saying he wants to stay in touch with the game post-retirement.

Ganguly, who turned 37 on Wednesday, said he may have quit international cricket but wants to stay in touch with the game as an administrator.

"I have stopped playing cricket six months ago. I would be connected to cricket. Bengal has a lot of talent and I want to take care of it," the country's most successful captain told reportetrs here.

Already the opposition camp in Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is planning to pit the former captain against CAB President Jagmohan Dalmiya and it could be the stepping stone before Ganguly goes on to head the BCCI, which, according to the rotation policy it follows, is scheduled to have its 2014 President from the East Zone.

To attain the BCCI top post, Ganguly, however, would require to attend at least two annual general body meetings of the board.

Ganguly, meanwhile, kept the cards close to his chest and said, "I want to be a part of cricket in Bengal. I will take one step at a time, don't know what lies ahead."

Dalmiya, on the other hand, played down the development and doubted the veracity of the reports.

"I've got nothing to say on this. This has been done to create a controversy and I'm not getting into it," the former BCCI President said.

Ganguly quit international cricket last year, having accumulated 7212 runs from 113 Tests with an average of 42.17. In one-dayers, his record is even more impressive, amassing 11363 runs from 311 ODIs averaging 41.02.

Ganguly, however, remains part of the Kolkata Knight Riders, which he led in the first edition of the Indian Premier League before Brendon McCullum replaced him.

Read More

10:29 AM

Saurav Ganguly

Sourav Chandidas Ganguly Statistics
Born: 8 July 1972, Calcutta
Major Teams: Bengal, India, Lancashire.
Known As: Sourav Ganguly
Batting Style: Left Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium

Profile:

Saurav Ganguly, the Prince of Calcutta has a fan following of millions and that is justified considering the number of winning knocks he has played for India. His batting is the perfect blend of elegance and power. He has all the traditional stylethat goes with left handed batsmanship. He is also a superb/ perfect timer of the ball. The manner in which he steps out and pounces on the ball, like a tiger on a hapless prey, is something to be enjoyed on the spot.
He is one of the most aggressive Captain India has ever had and has emerged as one thekey components of the Indian team. His ability to play shots on the off side is special because there are very few players who can hit the ball in that area as crisply as he does. He is an aggressive left-handed batsman and is also an effective (right-handed) medium pace bowler. He tarted his international career as a 19 year old during the tour to Australia in 1991-92 where both his ability and attitude was questioned. His recall for the 1996 tour to England was severely criticised as
one of the evils of India's "quota" system. But he answered that in style by not only scoring centuries in his first two Test innings but also capturing vital wickets to bag the Man of the series award. Still he was considered fit only for the Test matches because of his inability to play onside strokes. He worked on that problem and became a household name in India after the Sahara Cup in Toronto where he won several matches for India against Pakistan. Besides several superlative batting performance (including 75* in 75 balls), he exploited the conditions to
return some excellent bowling figures (including 5-16). He is often criticised for his running between the wickets and if he works on that, the way he has worked on his leg-side then he will definitely become a formidable force in the World of Cricket

Read More

1:25 AM